Sounds from Your House

Sounds from Your House 

"These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:6-9 

It is well when the Word of God governs my personal life. 
It should control my body with its members and passions.
It should solve the puzzling questions of my intellect. 
It should answer the indictment, and allay the fears of my conscience. 
It should fill my imagination with pure and inspiring pictures. 
It should make my will the happy bond-servant of Christ. 
It should satisfy the cravings of my heart for the perfect and eternal love.

And it is well when the Word of God governs my home life. When I teach it to the children, when I talk of it sitting in the house and walking by the way, lying down and rising up--I am giving them . . .
  the sublimest theme for meditation, 
  the best rule of conduct, 
  the strongest safeguard against evil, 
  the passport to the family of the Lord and the city of the eternal King. 
I am rendering them the most noble service conceivable! 

And it is well when the Word of God governs my social life. Let it be written on the posts of my house and on my gates. Then my neighbors will know where I stand, and whom I serve. They will not come to me to talk gossip and scandal, and to whisper away the good name of others with idle tongues. They will not wish me to be a partner with them in any evil work. They will be drawn rather towards the Book and towards the Lord.

In my personal history, 
in the relationships of my home, 
in my social fellowship--
may God rule through His Word, with an undisputed scepter and a gracious tyranny!

*******

            It was near Christmas, country church in which I was raised, members attending a Sunday night service standing in the church yard, visiting, one of the "pagan" boys in the community, road by the church in his car and threw out of his car a firecracker which landed under the feet of a very sizable woman who attended the church, but had never made a profession of faith.  The language which came from her mouth was an embarrassment to everyone within hearing and certainly to our Lord. 

            Often, from the house of church members, even those who claim the name of Christ, you hear the sounds from the TV-radio-record player which are certainly what one would not play if Jesus were visiting your house.  We who claim the name of Christ should be different, not only in our own tongue, but to the tongues to which we listen.  Nor should we find decadent words or music attractive enough that we can smile when we hear them.  There was a time when the "dirty book stores" were located on back-dark-streets in your town.  Now, the open sewer comes right into your living room by way of television, the computer and the radio. 

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.  Psalm 19:14

            This writer is not immune from "bad words."  In my daily living as a blind-disabled person, I become so frustrated-exasperated that a word will slip out and I realize that I have embarrassed my blessed Lord.  He expects better than that of me.  He deserves better from me.  Have you noticed that words which you never heard on the radio or television many years ago are in common usage today?   It all starts in the mind, and if Christians do not guard their mind, what can you expect from others?  If gold rusts, what do you expect iron to do; if Christians are not careful about their thoughts-words-actions, what can we expect from others?  Why should we be surprised when heathen act like heathen?